The Wonderful ‘Star Trek’ Art of Juan Ortiz

If you’ve read any of this blog’s ANALYZE TREK series, you have most likely noticed a beautifully illustrated, retro-looking movie poster specific to the featured episode being looked at. These specific pieces of art have been around, making waves for a little while, and I’ve linked to the artist’s website in the past, but I wanted to take a moment to truly recognize the pieces themselves and the artist behind them.

Juan Ortiz, has been an illustrator/designer for companies such as Disney and Warner Brothers, and as an avid Star Trek fan, decided to create an art program that would represent and honor each of the 80 episodes of Star Trek‘s original series run.

“I was always inspired by Star Trek and the contemporary world that Gene Roddenberry was trying to escape from,” Ortiz said in an interview with Co.Design. “What was great about the series is that it was so many things at once, all wrapped up in sci-fi: it could be a courtroom drama, a western, a war tale, a horror story, a romance, or anything else, just set in space. What binds them all together, though, are the contemporary social and political backdrop of the ’60s and the ’70s.”

The prints themselves are inspired by design elements from the 60s and 70s and reflect Ortiz’s love for Star Trek and serve as tribute to the time in which he grew up.

I personally find these pieces simply wonderful – not only as a Star Trek fan, but in appreciation of the art and aesthetics as well – and I absolutely love that Ortiz took the time to create one for each and every episode. Individual prints are available to purchase through the official Star Trekshop, and a book with the entirety of this series of prints is currently available through amazon as well.